Wire-die safety appliance.



J. H. REEGE. WIRE DIE SAFETY APPLIANCE. APPLICATION FILED MAR.17,1908.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JUAN H. REEGE, OF JOLIET, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HUMPHREY & SONS, OFJOLIET, ILLINOIS, A OOPARTNERSHIP.

WIRE-DIE SAFETY APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 17, 1908.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

Serial No. 421,658.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JUAN H. REEOE, a citizen of the United States,residing at J oliet, in the county of I Vill and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Die SafetyAppliances, of which the following is a specification.

In the operation of drawing wire, as ordinarily practiced in a wiremill, the wire is fed or drawn through a die block at a very rapid rateof speed by the revolving drawing block. In these circumstances itsometimes happens that accidents occur by reason of the operator beingcaught by the rapidly traveling wire prior to its passage through thedie block, in which case serious accidents and injuries may result byreason of the impossibility of stopping the running wire in time to savethe operator.

The object of the present invention is to provide a safety appliancewhich will automatically operate, in case of accident, toinstantaneously cut, break or sever the wire in case excessive pressureis exerted by the entanglement of the wire around the leg or arm of theoperator, thereby instantly relieving the tension and saving theoperator from serious injury which might be occasioned before the wiredrawing machinery could be stopped.

In the drawings,-Figure 1 is a side elevation of the entire device,showing the die block in position; Fig. 2 a longitudinal sectional viewof the same; Fig. 3 a top or plan view of the same, showing the grippersin normal position; and Fig. 4 a detail in plan, showing the grippers incontacted or gripping position.

The safety device of the present invention is used in connection with awire die block 5, of the usual formation having a die'aperture 6, asshown in Fig. 2, which aperture is positioned on the wire line. Each ofthe die apertures terminates in a reduced aperture 7, which is of thesize of the intended wire, the remaining portion of the die aperturebeing of larger diameter. The die block is mounted within a frame havinga front wall 8, a floor 9, and an overhanging roof 10, through whichroof is entered an adjustable hand screw 11 which bears upon the top ofthe die block. The front wall is provided with a guide hole 12, in frontof which the floor is carried forward and elevated to .provide acup-shaped pocket 13 having side walls 14 pivoted between standards 15,as best shown in Fig. 1. The formation is one which provides areceptacle for a lubricant adapted to grease the wire and thereby aid inits passage through the die block. The frame, as a whole, is tiltablymounted upon a base 16 which permits the die block to be tilted toaccommodate changes in the direction of travel of the wire.

The base plate is carried forwardly of the tiltable frame and hasmounted thereon, at the forward corners, upright pivot posts 17, whichare connected with the tops of standards 15 by side bars or rails 18,which in turn are connected by means of a cross rail 19, whicharrangement provides a rigid forward frame for the mounting of theemergency grippers to be hereinafter described.

At the extreme forward end of the device is a movable guard plate 20,provided, in its center, with an aperture 21 for the passagetherethrough of the wire, which guard plate is of rounded or bulgedformation so as to provide no angles or sharp edges which might causeinjury to the human body; and

the guard plate is provided, on its rear face,

wardly from the guard plate and are connected with a pair of gripperjaws 27 by means of vertical pivot pins 28 which pass through ears orlugs 29 formed on the inner sides of the gripper jaws. The gripper jawsthemselves are hinged, at their upper ends, to the upright pivot posts17 which pass through the gripper jaws and allow the latter to swingtoward and from each other in conformity with the movement of the guardplate. The gripper jaws, at their forward ends, are curved on the arc ofa circle whose center is forward of the axis of the jaws and areprovided with teeth 28*, which, when the edges are thrown into theposition shown in Fig. i, will be brought into close proximity with oneanother to grip and hold the wire, thereby relieving the tension of thewire forward of the grippers. The eccentricity of the teeth causes themto impinge on the wire they are brought together, and this impingementserves to prevent the passage of the wire and break it off forwardly ofthe die block. v

The guard plate has formed, on its under edge, a rearwardly extendingcenter tongue 30, which has bolted thereto a rearwardly extendingplunger 31, which enters a recess 32 in the base plate, and between theplunger and the rear wall of the recess is a coil spring 33, whichserves to normally hold the guard plate in forwardly projected positionbut permits its retraction when excessive pressure is brought to bearagainst it by reason of the entanglement of some object in the travelingwire.

In use, when the parts are in normal position, as shown in Fig. 3, thewire will be free to travel through the guard plate and through thewaste contained in the cup or receptacle and thereafter through the dieblock, the wire being pulled therethrough by the tension of the drawingblock. I11 ordinary operation the gripper jaws will be widely distendedso as to interfere in nowise with the normal advance of the wire, but incase of emergency, due to the entanglement of some object in the wire, apressure will be exerted against the guard plate as soon as the wire hasdrawn such object into contact therewith, and this pressure will retractthe guard plate against the tension of the spring, thereby bringing thegripper jaws into gripping position, as shown in Fig. at, in whichposition the wire will be severed or broken by the pull of the wirebeyond the point of engagement by the grippers.v This instantaneousbreaking or severing of the wire immediately relieves the tension uponthe ob ject entangled in the wire, and in cases of entanglement aroundsome portion of the operators body may save the latter from serious orfatal injury.

In a previous patent applied for by me, No. 878,236, issued February 4,1908, the wire gripper jaws are located behind the die block, but theirlocation at such point is inconvenient in some cases, in that itinterferes with the initial manipulation of the wire in securing it tothe drawing block. The device of the present invention differs from thedevice of the patent above re ferred to, in that the gripper jawsare-located forwardly of the die block and in a position which leavesthe die block unimpeded for the initial manipulation of the wire afterits end has been first inserted through the die aperture. The device,being entirely automatic, will always act instantaneously as soon as apressure, sufficient to endanger the safety of the operator, is exertedon the guard plate, which practicall-y eliminates all danger from theoperation ofwire drawing.

hat I regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1 1. In asafety appliance of the character described, the combination of a wiredie block, means for engaging a strand of wire located forwardly of thedie block, a guard member located in front of said wire engaging meansand mounted so as to permit of movement when pressure is applied, and

connections between the guard member and the wire engaging meansconstructed and arranged so as to operate the latter when the said guardmember is moved in the proper direction, substantially as described.

2. In a safety appliance of the character described, the combination ofa wire die block, normally distended wire engaging mechanism adapted toengage the wire prior to its passage through the die block, a guardmember located in front of said wire engaging means and mounted so as topermit of movement when pressure is applied, and connections between theguard member and the wire engaging mechanism constructed and arranged soas to actuate the latter and bring the same into contact with the wirewhen the guard member is moved in the proper direction, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a safety appliance of the character indicated, the combination ofa die block, normally distended wire gripping mechanism locatedforwardly of the entrance side of the dieblock and adapted to grip thewire prior to its passage throu h. the die block, 7

a sli'dably mounted guar plate through which the wire runs locatedforwardly of the wire gripping mechanism, and a connection between theguard plate and the grippers for closing the latter on the wire when theformer is moved, substantially as described. v

4. In a safety appliance of the character indicated, the combination ofa die block, a pair of grippers pivoted forwardly of the die block andprovided with teeth adapted to be brought into gripping engagement withthe wire, a guard plate through which the wire runs, and linkconnections between the guard plate and the pivoted jaws for swingingthe latter into gripping position when pressure is exerted on the guardplate, substantially as described.

5. In a safety appliance of the character pair of grippers pivotedforwardly of the entrance side of the die block and provided with teethadapted to be brought into grip ping engagement with the wire, a guardplate through which the wire runs located forwardly of the grippers,connections between the guard plate and the pivoted jaws for swingingthe latter into gripping posi-.

indicated, the combination of a die block, a

tion when pressure is exerted'on the guard plate, a bar connected withthe guard plate, and a spring adapted to exert a forward thrust on thebar to hold the guard plate normally in advanced position, substantiallyas described.

6. In a safety appliance of the character indicated, the combination ofa die block, a base extendedforwardly of the die block, vertical pivotposts secured to the base, gripper jaws hinged to said posts andprovided in their ends with teeth adapted to be brought into engagementwith the wire, a guardplate located forwardly of the jaws and providedwith an aperture for the pas: sage therethrough of the wire, linksconnecting said guard plate with the jaws for swinging the latter intogripping position by an inward thrust of the guard plate, and a springfor normally holding the guard plate in advanced position, substantiallyas described.

7. In a safety appliance of the character described, the combination ofa wire die block, means for severing a strand of wire located forwardlyof the die block, a guard member located forwardly of the die block andmounted so as to permit of movement when pressure is applied, andconnections between the guard member and the wire severing meansconstructed and arranged to operate the latter when the said guardmemher is moved in the proper direction, sub stantially as described.

J UAN H. REEGE.

lVitnesses ELMER P. RoDMAN, LEWIS W. CONNELL.

